Descriptive Descriptive WritingWriting

October 25, 2005October 25, 2005

Using Descriptive LanguageUsing Descriptive Language

Plant vivid images in your reader’s Plant vivid images in your reader’s mindmind

Describe images to your reader as if Describe images to your reader as if they have never seen the person, they have never seen the person, place, or thing beforeplace, or thing before

Make your reader see the image Make your reader see the image through your eyes (the same way through your eyes (the same way you saw it when you wrote it)you saw it when you wrote it)

““The family ate breakfast at the The family ate breakfast at the table.”table.”

Directions: Write a short paragraph Directions: Write a short paragraph describing your vision of the scene.describing your vision of the scene.

Remember to answer the following questions:Remember to answer the following questions:

Who are the family members?Who are the family members?What do they look like?What do they look like?What are they eating?What are they eating?What does the kitchen look like?What does the kitchen look like?

Also remember to choose and follow a Also remember to choose and follow a specific order!specific order!

Organizing Your DescriptionOrganizing Your Description

Organization helps your reader Organization helps your reader to imagine what you are to imagine what you are describing.describing.

Order of importanceOrder of importanceMost important to least or least to mostMost important to least or least to most

Spatial orderSpatial orderFrom far to near or near to farFrom far to near or near to farFrom top to bottom or bottom to topFrom top to bottom or bottom to topFrom left to right or right to leftFrom left to right or right to left

Writing a Descriptive ParagraphWriting a Descriptive ParagraphTo write a descriptive paragraph, observe To write a descriptive paragraph, observe

carefully and choose specific details.carefully and choose specific details.

11stst – Decide on the most important – Decide on the most important images to describe and make a listimages to describe and make a list

22ndnd – Write one or two descriptive – Write one or two descriptive words after each item on the listwords after each item on the list

33rdrd – Use the details from your list to – Use the details from your list to write your descriptive paragraphwrite your descriptive paragraphTo start, think of a topic sentence that gives a To start, think of a topic sentence that gives a

clue to your overall description. Then follow clue to your overall description. Then follow it with detailed sentences that support it.it with detailed sentences that support it.

Descriptive WorksheetDescriptive Worksheet

House, RoomHouse, Room1. Size 1. Size large, squarelarge, square2. Carpet 2. Carpet wine-coloredwine-colored3. Wallpaper, walls 3. Wallpaper, walls faded, barefaded, bare4. Chandelier 4. Chandelier dusty, crystaldusty, crystal5. Windows 5. Windows foggyfoggy6. Furniture 6. Furniture old, threadbareold, threadbare7. Your impression of it 7. Your impression of it empty-looking, empty-looking,

too largetoo large

Descriptive WorksheetDescriptive Worksheet

WomanWoman

1. Eyes 1. Eyes small. Bluesmall. Blue

2. Ears 2. Ears hidden under hairhidden under hair

3. Hair 3. Hair short, whiteshort, white

4. Nose 4. Nose narrownarrow

5. Skin 5. Skin wrinkledwrinkled

6. Voice 6. Voice raspyraspy

7. Your impression of her 7. Your impression of her very old, lonelyvery old, lonely

Worksheet ParagraphWorksheet Paragraph

As I looked around the room, I wasn’t As I looked around the room, I wasn’t sure if I felt frightened or sorry for the old sure if I felt frightened or sorry for the old woman. The few pieces of threadbare woman. The few pieces of threadbare furniture emphasized the largeness of the furniture emphasized the largeness of the room. The walls were bare and the room. The walls were bare and the wallpaper faded. The only item of any wallpaper faded. The only item of any value was a crystal chandelier, now value was a crystal chandelier, now covered with dust, hanging in the center of covered with dust, hanging in the center of the square ceiling.the square ceiling.

She sat beside me and slowly brushed She sat beside me and slowly brushed her white hair away from her small, blue her white hair away from her small, blue eyes with her wrinkled-looking fingers. I eyes with her wrinkled-looking fingers. I listened as her raspy voice told her storylistened as her raspy voice told her story

Writing a Descriptive Writing a Descriptive ParagraphParagraph

Observe carefully and choose specific Observe carefully and choose specific details.details.

11stst – Decide on the most important – Decide on the most important images to describe and make a listimages to describe and make a list

22ndnd – Write one or two descriptive – Write one or two descriptive words after each item on the listwords after each item on the list

33rdrd – Use the details from your list to – Use the details from your list to write your descriptive paragraphwrite your descriptive paragraphTo start, think of a topic sentence that gives To start, think of a topic sentence that gives

a clue to your overall description. Then a clue to your overall description. Then follow it with detailed sentences that follow it with detailed sentences that support it.support it.

ReviewReview

Describe images to your reader as if Describe images to your reader as if they have never seen the person, they have never seen the person, place, or thing beforeplace, or thing before

Make your reader see the image Make your reader see the image through your eyes (the same way through your eyes (the same way you saw it when you wrote it)you saw it when you wrote it)